What are HIV and AIDS?

HIV is a virus (human immunodeficiency virus) that is contracted mostly through sex, and it can cause problems with your immune system (AIDS) if left untreated. Medicines can keep HIV under control, but HIV cannot be cured. If you do not take the medicines (correctly), you will develop AIDS.

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It is a virus that attacks your body’s immune system. If you have HIV and do not take medicines, your immune system becomes weaker. After a long time without medications, your body cannot defend itself anymore against infections. You then have AIDS. A person with AIDS is likely to die much sooner than a person without it.

With HIV medicines, you can live a normal life. If you do not strictly follow your treatment, you can pass on HIV to other people, even if you have no symptoms.

You can read more about the disease here.

To know whether you have HIV, you need to get tested. Talk to a healthcare provider if you want to get tested for HIV.